But it takes effort and a willingness to stay away from Madison Avenue or SoHo. You can still find a dollar-burger and the $10 knock-off Rolex on Canal Street.Compared with London, some things are almost given away, notably transport. Taxi journeys here cost a fraction of a similar journey in a London cab. Ticket prices have just increased by 25 per cent on the subway, but you can still travel long distances by public transport for little money. It takes an hour and $2 to get to JFK airport by underground train and bus.Yet, in other ways, living in New York can be crippling Bottled water costs $2. Cigarettes (do not even ask a New York smoker about this) have recently topped $8 a pack, mostly taxes.

A visit to the supermarket rarely leaves change from $100, just to stock your fridge. And the mega-warehouse stores America is famous for, say, Wal-Mart, cannot be found near the city.The hardest hit are those who want to go out in the evenings An ordinary cocktail is $7 or up (plus a dollar tip). A cinema ticket costs $10 and any seat on Broadway is close to $100. Going to a restaurant in the evening constitutes a serious financial outlay. Unless, of course, you can find an ethnic gem all the way out in Queens..

The Northern Ireland security forces intercepted a 250kg (600lb) bomb in Derry City yesterday, emphasising the threat posed by small but dangerous groups of republican dissidents. It was found in a van whose driver was said to have been seen acting suspiciously on the Foyle Bridge.The vehicle was later abandoned near by with its hazard lights flashing. An army bomb disposal team made a controlled explosion of the van, which was found to contain a substantial bomb in two blue industrial barrels. It was set to be detonated by a timer.A police spokesman said the bomb was primed, adding: “It was clearly designed to cause immense damage. I have no idea as to the intended target at this stage, but there is no doubt that the target was saved by the prompt alertness of the police officers.”The authorities regard republican dissidents, principally the so-called Real IRA and Continuity IRA, as a continuing menace because devices such as that seized in Derry City pose a threat to life and property. Despite a number of arrests, and although new legislation has been introduced in both Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic in recent years, such groups have not been eradicated.